Mail-bag catching and delivering device.



M. BECKER:

MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERLNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l. IBM.

1 $06,654:. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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MARTIN BECKER, OF MACDONA, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

Application filed May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,703.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARTIN BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macdona, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and De livering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mail bag catcher and delivering device.

The primary object of the invent-ion is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein mail bags can be automatically exchanged between a moving train and a station, the device on the car and at the station being readily reversible so that an exchange of bags can be accomplished irrespective of the direction of travel of the train.

An object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character wherein the device is of novel form to assure positiveness in exchanging mail bags and also to render the same serviceable and durable.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a plan view of the device with portions in sections. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in another position. ,Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of cess 29 formed in the turntable. Upon op-.

posite sides of the recess 29 are grab doors fitted with a counterseat 31 formed in the table 26, jaws 30 being formed with handlev levers 32 that project beyond the peripheral turn table 26 for permitting the manual opening of the jaws after the automatic closing thereof. One of the jaws 3O supports in a pivotal manner a trip latch 33 which projects across the recess 29 and en gages a shoulder 34 on the other jaws 30 to normally hold the jaws open, the aws being acted upon by means of a coiled extension spring 35 surrounding a guide pin 36 passed through the elongated slots 37 in the levers 32of the jaws and engaged in the table 26. The springs 35 are designed to automatically close the jaws 30 on the tripping of I the latch 33 by the impact between the bag and the trip with the result that the jaws immediately grip the sack. At the outer end of the arm 27 is a hook 38 cooperating with a spring pressed keeper 39, the hook 38 being provided for the purpose of supporting a mail bag for delivering it to a passing train.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a mail bag may be effectively caught and substantially held against movement and the stress created by the impact may be properly taken care of by the cooperation between the jaws and circuit wheels of the turn table.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A mailbag catcher comprising a table formed with rigid outwardly divergent catching arms and with an opening between the catching arms, grab jaws pivotally mounted on the table and having hand levers arranged to move within recesses in said table, means acting on the levers for automatically closing grab jaws and a trip latch pivoted to one of the grab jaws and engaging with the other for normally holding the said jaws open and bridge the opening in the table. 7

2. A mail bag catcher comprising a table formed with an opening and a recess the wall of which being arcuate shaped. at twospaced points, grab jaws pivotally mounted in the recess and having arcuate shaped hand levers adapted to move in engagement with the arcuate portion of the recess wall to be struck by the mail bag, said trip being pivotally mounted upon onejaW and having a detachable engagement With the other jaw.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MARTIN BECKER.

W'itnesses:

T1103. 13. C. FLETCHER, FRITZ PoHL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

